The elusive leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has made a rare public appearance after months away from the spotlight. The general appeared during a significant mourning event alongside the coffin of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader who was assassinated.

General Ahmad Vahidi, a controversial figure under U.S. sanctions and suspected of international terrorist connections, was photographed on Thursday with his hands resting on Khamenei’s casket. This solemn image surfaced as Tehran braced for the beginning of a lengthy funeral observance for the deceased leader, illustrated by photos circulated by Iranian state-run media.

Vahidi’s appearance marked his break from obscurity as he attended a meeting about the funeral arrangements, followed by a smaller, intimate service. This comes ahead of Iran’s scheduled 40-day period of national mourning, set to commence on Saturday.

His absence from public view dates back to February 8, weeks before the tragic events of February 28, which claimed the lives of Khamenei and several other high-ranking IRGC officials, including Vahidi’s predecessor, Mohammad Pakpour, at the onset of Operation Epic Fury.

Notably, Vahidi remains a critical figure behind the scenes, shaping the Islamic Republic’s stringent strategy in response to the ongoing four-month-long conflict. Despite being listed as wanted by Interpol over accusations tied to the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, his influence persists in the corridors of power.

In May, he claimed Iran had emerged victorious following the “terrorist attack of the Zionist-American enemy” and said Washington had turned to a cease-fire “in humiliation,” according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. 

“Any renewed aggression by the enemy will be met with a devastating and hellish response on regional and trans-regional scales,” he threatened.

Vahidi, who succeeded Pakpour as head of the IRGC, is said to be part of a small clique influencing the severely injured Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

“He is influential but [he is] part of a system,” Ali Vaez, the Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, told CNN. 

“Decisions are made in a consensual manner and undoubtedly Vahidi has a very loud voice in the room.”

“You cannot agree on something without passing him,” Danny Citrinowicz, the ex-head of the Iran branch of Israel’s military intelligence, told CNN.

Vahidi, 67, joined the IRGC after the 1979 Revolution before becoming commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force in the late 1980s, building up Iran’s influence across the Middle East before handing the reins to terror mastermind Qasem Soleimani.

He and Soleimani have often been credited with laying the groundwork for Iran’s terror proxies to bloom abroad, including the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon.

Vahidi was among nine top Hezbollah and Iranian officials accused of helping orchestrate the bombing of the Jewish community center – that killed 85 people and injured over 300.

It marked the deadliest antisemitic attack in the Western Hemisphere since World War 2.

Interpol issued a red notice against Vahidi, urging law enforcement entities around the world to find and arrest him, making the IRGC commander an internationally wanted terrorist.

Along with the infamous 1994 bombing, Argentine investigators have linked Vahidi to the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires. 

US investigators also suspect Vahidi helped organize the 1996 Khobar Tower bombing in Saudi Arabia, which saw 19 service members killed.

Vahidi was also hit by sanctions in the US for his links to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

He faced a second wave of sanctions in 2022 after Iran’s brutal crackdown on protesters over the death of Mahsa Amini.

The European Union also hit Vahidi with sanctions in 2022 for the regime’s use of live ammunition in the protests, which left nearly 500 people dead, according to human rights groups.

“He is a wanted man,” Citrinowicz said. “He’s a guy to be reckoned with.”

With Post wires.

In a historic milestone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday that the U.S. death rate plummeted to an all-time low in 2025. According to their provisional data, this marks a significant achievement in public health.

The latest Vital Statistics Rapid Release report highlights that the death rate stood at 689.2 per 100,000 people. This represents a remarkable 4.6 percent decrease from 2024, establishing a new record for the lowest death rate the nation has ever seen.

In examining the underlying causes of mortality, heart disease and cancer continue to top the list as the primary culprits. These are followed by unintentional injuries, strokes, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes, which remain as significant health challenges.

Although the first seven leading causes of death remained unchanged from the previous year, the list did see a shift in the final three. In 2024, Nephritis, chronic liver disease, and suicide were prominent. However, the 2025 data shows influenza and pneumonia, along with kidney disease, rising in prominence, while chronic liver disease continues to be a major concern.

The report also sheds light on demographic disparities, revealing that death rates were notably higher among males, older adults, and Black individuals. This underscores ongoing public health challenges and highlights areas needing targeted intervention.

“The death rate decreased from 2024 to 2025 for all demographic groups except American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Asian people. Although the death rate decreased for people age 85 and older during this period, rates for this group remained higher than those for all other age groups,” the report stated. 

“Death rates also decreased for several race and ethnicity groups; however, rates for Black people remain higher than those for all other groups.” 

The data used for this report was derived from the National Vital Statistics System and accounted for 99 percent of deaths that occurred in 2025. 

The report identified four limitations to the findings: The data is provisional, the timeliness of death certificate submissions varies by jurisdiction, race categories may have been misclassified and the methodology of population estimates varied between 2024 and 2025. 

“Despite these limitations, this report provides an overview of provisional mortality in the United States during 2025,” reads the report. “Provisional death estimates can give researchers and policymakers an early signal about shifts in mortality trends and provide actionable information sooner than final mortality data. These data can inform public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing mortality.” 

Where did the infamous pirate Captain Kidd hide his considerable treasure?

Could it have been stashed away in the Caribbean, on the coast of Africa, or perhaps on a secluded island far from civilization?

In truth, Kidd selected an island setting, specifically nestled within the exclusive Hamptons on Long Island, New York. This region is renowned as a luxurious summer retreat for affluent Wall Street figures and A-list Hollywood personalities. Little do they know, buried beneath this opulent area are supposed riches of gold, silver, and invaluable gems, hidden away back in 1699.

If Captain Kidd and his wife Sarah were somehow alive today, they might be mingling with the elite, relishing gin and tonics, and partaking in rounds of golf. Indeed, Kidd was a married man, and they had two daughters together.

POPEYES TAKES OVER FAMOUS $150 CHICKEN TENDER TOWER AT HAMPTONS CELEBRITY HOTSPOT

“They were New York’s power couple,” Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos said. “He was a very, very stellar member of New York society. He owned a great deal of real estate. They had dinner parties. They had silver. They had china and fine linens.”

Captain Kidd’s surprising story is told in the new series, “Crazy American History with Eric Shawn,” now streaming on Fox Nation.

A pirate who was married with two kids and a big mansion. That’s crazy!

“It’s easy to believe the lore of pirates because people find it kind of sexy. You know, these are really hyper-masculine men who are out there, swinging swords and cutting people to pieces and coming around with bags of gold. And that’s kind of like, you know, dashing and dark and it’s all of that,” said Geanacopoulos, who wrote the biography, “A Pirate’s Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd.” “He was a normal guy.”

And that treasure? 40 pounds of gold, silver, silk and precious rubies and stones?

“He hides the treasure on Gardiner’s Island,” said Samuel Marquis, author of “Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal.” He also is Kidd’s great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson. (That’s the ninth great-grandson.) Gardiner’s Island is a privately owned property on New York’s Long Island still in the hands of the same family as when Kidd buried his booty there. Marquis says Kidd also stashed valuables elsewhere, including Connecticut and Rhode Island. New Jersey is also a suspected spot.

We will show you the pirate’s secret spot where he buried his booty and go along with a man who still thinks more may be out there on the East Coast.

The American who you certainly do not know — the posh pirate — a crazy and curious story we tell in the third episode of “Crazy American History with Eric Shawn” now streaming on Fox Nation.

In a tragic incident in Texas, a man delivering for DoorDash has been charged with manslaughter. This follows a harrowing event where he allegedly accelerated his Tesla shortly before crashing it into a home, leading to the death of a 76-year-old woman.

The driver, 44-year-old Michael David Butler, faces charges connected to the crash that occurred on June 19 in Katy. During the accident, his Model 3 Tesla veered off the road, hurdled a curb, and collided with the front of a family home in the suburbs.

The unfortunate collision struck the Barbour family residence, where two parents, three young children, and their cherished grandmother, Martha Avila, were inside at the time of the crash. Thus, Avila tragically lost her life.

The shock from the incident profoundly affected the family, who expressed their sorrow to KHOU, stating, “She (Avila) didn’t deserve to go this way.”

As detailed in the arrest affidavit, Butler emerged from the crash with no significant injuries. When law enforcement arrived on the scene shortly afterward, he was found alone inside the vehicle.

The criminal charge comes after investigators seized Tesla’s ‘black box’ and reviewed data from the vehicle and the dash camera footage, concluding that Butler overrode Tesla’s full Self-Driving system by pressing the accelerator to it’s maximum position, shortly before impact.

However, crucially, Butler had pressed the accelerator not just once on the drive but several times.

According to court documents, Butler initially told deputies he had been using the Tesla technology while making DoorDash deliveries and claimed to have been distracted while trying to change the music on the car’s touchscreen.

He claimed to have ‘passed out’ and conveniently had no memory of the moments before the crash.

But investigators say the Tesla’s own electronic data tells another story.

Authorities allege the car automatically slowed as it approached a residential intersection, before Butler suddenly pressed the accelerator all the way to the floor, overriding the automated driving system.

The vehicle then surged to about 73mph along a residential street before failing to negotiate a left turn.

Investigators say there was no evidence Butler attempted to brake before the Model 3 struck a curb, launched into the air and slammed into Avila’s home with devastating force.

Doorbell footage uploaded to X revealed the harrowing moment. The video also caught the loud screech the car emitted as it crashed into the home.

The 76-year-old grandmother was inside the property when the car crashed through the wall. 

Emergency crews rushed to the scene where Life Flight airlifted Avila to hospital, and was later pronounced dead after life-saving measures were rendered unsuccessful. 

Authorities said investigators found no indication that a mechanical fault, unintended acceleration or vehicle defect caused the collision.

Butler tested negative for alcohol and common recreational drugs, while medical examinations reportedly ruled out a heart attack, seizure or stroke that could explain his claim that he lost consciousness.

Authorities further allege that Butler’s cellphone contained condemning internet searches made before the crash expressing frustration that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software was not driving aggressively enough.

Tesla, who has faced mass scrutiny in the past over their self automated option has maintained that the company was not at fault.

Defensive executives took to social media to dispute Butler’s account, saying the car’s driver pressed the accelerator pedal down and adding the sadistic detail that Butler kept it pressed even after the crash.

Owner of Tesla, billionaire Elon Musk himself took to X to refute the matter, penning the words ‘This makes no sense.’

The automaker says that Full Self-Driving is designed to require continuous driver supervision and that drivers remain responsible for controlling the vehicle at all times.

However, the fatal crash has intensified scrutiny of Tesla’s driver-assistance technology as federal regulators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continue investigating incidents involving Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems.

A year prior, NHTSA launched an investigation into roughly 2.9 million Tesla vehicles over ‘Full Self-Driving’ running red lights and driving the wrong way, and the agency upgraded that probe in March 2026 to an engineering analysis.

Meanwhile, Avila’s devastated family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both Butler and Tesla, suing them for $1 million, alleging negligence and arguing the crash could have been prevented.

Butler remains in custody at the Harris County jail, according to court records.

Zohran Mamdani, the Mayor of New York City, openly expressed his desire on Wednesday to resolve his ongoing, albeit one-sided, dispute with rapper 50 Cent.

During an appearance on the “Complex” podcast, Mamdani faced an intriguing question from host Jillian Superstar. She posed, “If you were to host a dinner party — which I assume you’d invite me to after our chat — who would be your ultimate dream guest, whether alive or deceased?”

Without hesitation, Mamdani named former Mayor Fiorello La Guardia as his first pick, praising him as the greatest mayor New York City has ever witnessed.

He then mentioned, “I’d also invite 50 Cent to join us so we could discuss tax policy over dinner.”

The interviewer quickly agreed, noting, “That’s indeed a very much needed conversation.”

During an interview on “The Breakfast Club” last year, the mayor noted that while he was a fan of 50 Cent, the musician wasn’t a fan of his tax policy.

“I know if 50 Cent is listening, he’s not going to be happy about this. He tends to not like this tax policy, but I want to be very clear: This is about $20,000 a year. It’s a rounding error.

“And all of these things together, they make every New Yorker’s life better, including those who are actually getting taxed now,” Mamdani said during the June 2025 podcast.

The rapper responded shortly after by asking, “Where did he come from? Whose friend is this? I’m not feeling this plan. No. I will give him $258,750 and a first-class one-way ticket away from NY. I’m telling Trump what he said too!”

Mamdani noted during Wednesday’s interview that he was still a fan of 50 Cent, even if 50 Cent wasn’t a fan of his policies. Superstar showed this to be true, playing a clip of the mayor quoting the rapper’s song, “Get Rich or Die Tryin,’” during a recent commencement speech.

“So, it’s a one-sided beef?” the interviewer asked.

“It’s a one-sided beef,” Mamdani agreed.

“I think we’re always going to have a disagreement on that tax policy,” he added.

“I want to increase taxes on the wealthiest. He does not want that to happen. But I will still appreciate the song ‘Many Men,’ whatever our disagreements are.”

Representatives for 50 Cent did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.